Terry, we scratched. Couldn't do it. Just wanted to let everyone know.

I agree with you that horses from a "sick" barn should not be mixing with the general population. That just seems like plain old common sense. It would be interesting to know why sick barns aren't immediately put off limits like Barn A was at the beginning of the meet. Maybe our DRF reporter Marcus or someone could ask the State vet?

The ITHA wont say anything that would compromise Hawthorne and the Spring Welfare Meet.

Ah ... "Spring Welfare Meet" ... that's what we're calling Illinois horseman earning purses in Illinois during the first four months of the year now that Churchill/Arlington wants those simulcast dates for its own out-of-state welfare. Well, you're consistent if nothing else, TM.

There was no one from the Dept. of Agri. At this mornings meeting. Furthermore, the ITHA has not gotten involved to the best of my knowledge. Certainly not attending this mornings meeting. G3tpwned: I agree that Reavis' horses should not be allowed to train for more than one reason. The main reason not being that he had a pos. 2 days ago, but that he is also stabled with us and we have between us 5 positives, including our fatality. At this point as lax as the isolation situation is, I don't see how training with the general population is any different.

Brivolta:Beckers horses were scratched because of the situation. What I find very difficult to understand is hy they did NOT scratch our horse out of the 7th race. My husband ultimately scratched the horse not being able to bring the horse over in good conscience knowing the horse is stabled with no less than 5 confirmed positive horses.

Terry:Hawthorne doesn't own horses. And we have been pleading to have OUR barn SHUT down, to no avail. Our own vet was with my husband this morning trying to accomplish the same goal.

For according to the official statement there, the hens in Hawthorne's hen house no longer need any help from you foxes.

Much as with the breeding industry, apparently you're about to be reminded that horses would be just fine without you, given the fact that they already know how to'do-it' without your too-often-rendered assistance.

Arlington does own the national jockey club........those were their dates to begin with......

No, it doesn't. Duchossois Industries bought the NJC note, not Churchill. And besides, the State of Illinois "owns" dates. Dates don't go along with the old furniture and equipment Mr. D repossessed when he called in his note.

My husband is on the phone with Steve Manley as we speak, and his filly did not die. She is, at the moment, stable and being made as comfortable as possible. Please refrain from relaying information that is not directly verified by the trainer or owner.

I agree with you that horses from a "sick" barn should not be mixing with the general population. That just seems like plain old common sense. It would be interesting to know why sick barns aren't immediately put off limits like Barn A was at the beginning of the meet. Maybe our DRF reporter Marcus or someone could ask the State vet?

Had a good long talk with an equine infectious disease professor at UC Davis this evening. He agreed with what several horse-people suggested today: At this point, EHV-1 is everywhere on the backstretch. Horses are regularly being exposed. Many will contract it. A smaller number will exhibit non-neurlogical symptoms. A smaller number still will have the neurologic symptoms. Of those, 30% or so will die.

The reason the Barn E outbreak is being treated differently than Barn A is this: When the EHV-1 first hit, the hope was it would be isolated in one barn, as often happens in these situations. Remember: The entire backstretch was not quarantined then, and horses could still come and go. Once the virus jumped, the de facto quarantine came down, & at that point, the entire backstretch started getting treated like Barn A was before the jump. Instead of shutting down barns, the protocol of isolating neurologically symptomatic & positive-testing horses became the rule.

You can accept this or criticize it, but apparently these are fairly standard actions based on historical precedent.

My husband is on the phone with Steve Manley as we speak, and his filly did not die. She is, at the moment, stable and being made as comfortable as possible. Please refrain from relaying information that is not directly verified by the trainer or owner.